David And Bathsheba

One evening David rose from his siesta and strolled about on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. David had inquiries made about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.” 

Then David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he had relations with her. She then returned to her house. But the woman had conceived, and sent the information to David, “I am with child.” David therefore sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” 

So Joab sent Uriah to David. When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers, and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well. David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.”   Uriah left the palace… 

The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah. In it he directed: “Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.” So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the defenders were strong. When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab, some officers of David’s army fell, and among them Uriah the Hittite died.  (2 Samuel 11:1-4A, 5-10A, 13-17)

David yielded to temptation after seeing naked Bathsheba bathing on a nearby roof.   David arranged for her husband to be killed.   He coveted another’s wife, and he got her.

Ironically, if not for this act of betrayal, the lineage leading to Jesus would never have occurred.  Bathsheba was the mother of Solomon who succeeded David as king.   She was the Queen mother.  According to 2 Samuel 12:24, “Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon.”  In Matthew we read: “Solomon was the father of Rehoboam…Matthan was the father of Jacob.  Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary.  It was of her that Jesus who is called the Messiah was born…” 

Of course, this family tree is mostly fanciful, and Joseph wasn’t really Jesus’ father by birth [refer to Christmas readings].   Nevertheless, having Jesus arise from David’s betrayal makes one realize that our own family trees with saints and sinners have no bearing on who we turn out to be.  We make our destinies.  We become personal Messiahs – saviors – to those who rely on us for support, love, and forgiveness.

Deacon David Pierce